Idiosyncrasies
by Applebucker77
Summary: In the year 1978, Pearl finds that she must confront her fascinations and feelings for a certain crimson-clad gem... much sooner than she'd hoped. Teenage Pearlnet. Two-shot. Cover Image by me.
1. Fascinations

**Playlist:**

**"Smalltown Boy"- Bronski Beat  
"Roxanne"- The Police  
**"I Want You"- Savage Garden**  
"How Soon Is Now?"- The Smiths**

**Or... if you want to go full 1978:  
"Night Fever"- BeeGees  
"Into The Night"- Benny Mardones  
"Fly Robin Fly"- Silver Convention  
"Kiss You All Over"-Exile**

* * *

Embarrassment. A fate worse than death.

Whether it's yours or another's fault becomes unimportant, the thoughts and accusations become overpowered by the feeling. And the feeling is killer. It burns you to your core, and freezes your mind. It's the feeling of a personal weakness being thrown to the ravenous wolves, viciously ripped apart, and left to fester.

It's also a consequence of one's own self-image. If one feels the need to wear a hypothetical mask or suit in the presence of others (or one significant other), the dreaded feeling of embarrassment will overcome one if the mask were to be, one way or another, ripped away.

Pearl was going through such a startling ache now.

She hadn't meant for it to happen like this... it had all started so simply.

Even the most disciplined, dedicated adolescent mind has a tendency to wander into places it doesn't have any business in. It's normal, it's all part of becoming who you are. But this curiosity can backfire, and cause pain in a young soul.

Pearl looked up at the imposing cherry-wood wardrobe in front of her. She noted the patterns and decorations on it, tried to guess the date of manufacture, pondered on the possible reasons for the scars on its legs... anything she could busy herself with so that she wouldn't be tempted to look inside the wooden closet.

It was Garnet's.

"Can you believe she never wears any of this stuff?" Amethyst snickered, rummaging through the fabric, getting into who knows what kind of mischief.

Pearl felt sick. It was one thing to sneak into Garnet's room without her knowing, but it was quite another to snoop through her private belongings, hidden away probably for good reason.

So why had she joined Amethyst in this little game of 'private detective'? It was a question she had asked herself since she had snuck into the chamber, although she damn well knew the answer.

Because deep down, Pearl wanted to know more about Rose's secretive second-in-command.

Pearl wasn't sure what it was about_ her_. Garnet was a confusing, enigmatic figure that Pearl had tried to decipher for the few years she'd known her. It drove her nuts. She couldn't stand the feeling of uncertainty.

She had almost developed a sort of obsession, a thirst for knowledge... a thirst for Garnet. _What kind of secrets could be hidden behind those pink shades?_ Boy, did Pearl want an answer.

Unfortunately, a straight answer was next to impossible to coax out. She'd asked Rose.

Pearl wasn't about to give up... she often wondered just how far she would go to explore the depths of Garnet, and how much knowledge, contact, and that hot, slippery, tangy fluid running down her throat would satiate her appetite. She knew she wanted her more than she'd ever wanted anyone before. And it absolutely _terrified_ her.

So... when the irritating nuisance Amethyst insisted that they search Garnet's room for answers... Pearl didn't know how to say no.

"Oh man, she would look so cool in this jacket!"

Pearl gasped. "Shh! Not so loud!"

"What? She won't be back 'till tonight, we got time."

"If Rose catches either of us in here, we'll be killed. You know that as well as I do." Pearl whispered fiercely.

"Rose is busy shoppin' or whatever. She wouldn't waste her time searching for us." Amethyst pulled out the jacket, and held it up for Pearl to see.

It was a smoothed, red-and-black letterman jacket with a white 14 embroidered in the front. It looked like it had never been worn, maybe not even tried on.

"Wouldn't she look cool in this thing?"

An image of Garnet standing at the top of a series of bleachers with the jacket on opened itself up in Pearl's mind. She had to admit, it looked pretty cool. "I guess..." she said, nodding.

Amethyst stuffed the jacket back into the wardrobe. Sticking her head and shoulders back into the wooden closet, she continued to search for any other peculiar items of interest.

Despite her ever-present sense of morality perched in her head, Pearl knew that she wanted to look inside. It was only a matter of time before the worm of curiosity would get the best of her.

Amethyst pulled out a pair of black Laura Petries. Licking her lips, she nodded approvingly. No doubt, she was picturing Garnet. _Not good._

Pearl narrowed her eyes. She clenched her teeth and her fingers curled into fists. _Don't even think about it, Amethyst. Garnet will be mine. _She scared herself again. _Oh jeez..._

Amethyst piped up. "Do you think she works out?"

Pearl cocked her head to the side, her head knocked out of thought. "What makes you say that?"

"Dude... do you even have to ask? She's one _chicka cherry cola_, if ya know what I mean..." She waggled her eyebrows in a most vulgar manner.

"...Pardon?"

Amethyst's eyes shot wide open. "Come on, Pearl! You've seen her! Don't tell me that you haven't taken, you know, just a little time to check out those _killer_ abs, or her incredible tits, or that perfect butt!"

Pearl was speechless.

"I'll bet she does yoga, or pilates, or aerobics, or something. I mean, there is no WAY she was born with such a hot bod! Ya know what I mean?"

"I... I..." Pearl would never admit it, but she agreed whole-heartedly. Yet, it disgusted her at the same time. Especially with the way Amethyst had just objectified such beauty in the exotic gem.

"You know how like with some chicks' nipples, they like, poke out of the shirt when it gets cold?" She looked expectantly at Pearl for an answer.

"...Sure." How else could she have responded?

"Garnet's nips don't do that. ...Far out, man."

For an uncomfortable moment, the violet-clad gem seemed to stare off into space. Much like she did when she used to take those repulsive substances a few years ago, when the counter-culture fad hit Beach City in the form of a filthy nudist colony. _I knew that shit would give her brain damage,_ Pearl never ceased to think.

"...Amethyst?"

In a flurry of silver locks, she snapped back, eyes wide and shallow. "Wha-?"

"You did it again."

"...Did what?"

A little frustrated, Pearl sighed. "You did that zoning-out thing."

The disoriented gem dropped the pair of pants. Pinching she bridge of her nose, she squinted her eyes shut. "Man... that was weird."

Pearl nodded. "You should probably get a drink of water."

Blinking, Amethyst nodded. "Yeah. I'll... be right back."

Pearl could hear the footsteps echo through the chamber long after Amethyst disappeared form her sight, and waited until the hiss of the portal ceased before making another move.

That is, if she could bring _herself_ to move. Staring at the open wardrobe door, she licked her lips. It seemed so close, yet so far.

"Ah! Much better!" said Amethyst, strolling back into the room way too early for Pearl's liking, glass of water in-hand. "Okay, okay. So, like I was sayin', there is no freakin' way that Garnet was born looking like a flippin' Nike model, you know what I mean?"

_Yes. Yes, yes, yes._ Pearl wanted to say. "I suppose so..." she mumbled, looking to the side.

Amethyst screwed up her expression. "Come on, P. I'm trying to have a real conversation with you. Rose said that we need more 'sisterly bonding' time, ya know? I don't wanna do all the talking!"

"I don't particularly like this subject." Pearl tried to cram as much contempt into her voice as possible so that Amethyst would drop the subject. And of course, the silver-haired teen didn't detect a hint.

Or perhaps she did, and wanted to continue being an obnoxious asshole. Yep, that sounded much more likely. Whatever the reason was, Pearl couldn't ignore the suspicious glint in Amethyst's beady eyes. It put her on the defense. The last thing she needed was for her younger peer to know about Pearl's intense fascinations with Garnet.

"...You're hiding something."

_Goddammit._ Pearl tried to shrug it off. "No."

"Yes, you are... you don't wanna talk about Garnet, and you're not tellin' me why."

_What? How did she guess so quickly? _thought Pearl. "You're wrong," she retorted, shaking her head, perhaps a little too violently.

"Oh, am I?" Amethyst stuck her head and shoulders back into the wardrobe.

The violet-clad gem suddenly gasped. "Oh... oh dude! Dude, look at this!"

_Oh god, what now?_ Pearl thought, fearing the worst. She looked at the shorter gem. "What is it?"

"Come see!" She stuck her head back in. "Ooh, baby! Now this is what I'm talkin' about!"

_...That doesn't sound good_, thought Pearl, biting her thumbnail compulsively.

Retreating from the wardrobe, the violet-clad gem had a bit of red fabric clenched in her hand. _What could it be?_ She held it above her head for Pearl to see. Her stomach flipped over.

"What the...?"

Sure enough, it was what she'd feared. A pair of lacy, ruby-colored underwear with a tiny bow on the skimpy elastic rim. Pearl could feel herself blush.

"We've hit the jackpot!" Amethyst shouted, diving back into the wardrobe with ardor, and returning with the heavy wooden box of undergarments.

Pearl was frozen.

"Man oh man! That juicy ass in lingerie like this? What I wouldn't do to give it a good spankin'!"

Pearl's jaw dropped. Never before had she heard of someone's rear end, let alone Garnet's, being referred to as..._ juicy_. Was that a good thing?

Dropping the box on the cut-stone floor with a CLACK, Amethyst cackled. "Oh boy!" She pulled out a variety of underwear, undoubtedly searching for the smuttiest piece she could find.

Pearl unfroze.

"Stop that! We... we shouldn't be doing this! Put it back!"

Amethyst scoffed, and gave her a contemptuous look. "Lighten up, man. Garnet won't find out." She pulled a nasty grin.

Pearl's temper rose. "I mean it, Amethyst! She'll kill us!"

Amethyst looked up with an annoyed furrow in her brow. "Who's gonna tell her?"

"Don't challenge me," Pearl snapped back.

"Then get your prudish nose down here and help me search!" Holding up a thin, revealing white bra, she displayed it front of Pearl's face, waving it from side to side.

"You know you want tooooo..." Amethyst added, a knowing smile on her lips... A smile that could only mean one thing.

Her stomach flipped over again. _Oh god, _thought Pearl, her mind already way before the conversation._ She knows._

Unsure of how to defend herself from Amethyst's new supply of ammunition, she stood up straight and crossed her arms across her chest. "What's... What's that supposed to mean?"

Amethyst stood up and mimicked Pearl's stance, not taking her eyes off of her. Like a cat eyeing a trapped mouse, with a toothy grin to match. "Don't act like you don't know."

_How does she know?_ "You're not making sense."

"You know _damn well_ what I mean."

_How did she find out?_ "No, I don't."

Amethyst snickered. "Oh yes, you do... you slyyyy hooooorndog, yooouu," she drawled.

"What did you just call me?" Pearl's heart beat faster, and her temperature rose, although she wasn't sure whether it was from embarrassment or frustration from the fact that her secret was slipping out of her fingers like a wet eel.

"You horny horndog, you _want_ Garnet!"

Pearl couldn't stop herself from blushing. The dead giveaway.

Of course, Amethyst didn't fail to notice. Her mouth gaped into a whale of a smile, her eyes glittering of her namesake.

"Holy _sweet_ Mother of God! Rose was right! It's true!_ You like her_!" She shouted.

Pearl was sure someone had heard _that_. Glancing around in fear, she continued to blush and burn on the inside. "Shut up, Amethyst," she hissed between her teeth.

Amethyst began jumping up and down. "Oh man! I can't believe it! You like her! YOU LIKE HER!"

"Shh! Not so the world can hear!" Pearl insisted, beginning to lose her patience.

The shorter adolescent jovially slapped her on the back, nearly knocking Pearl over. "Oh, dude! This is too good! Wait till Garnet hears THIS!"

_Oh no._ Pearl couldn't let that happen.

It would be the _death_ of her.

In desperation, the pastel gem cried out, "NO, DON'T!"

Amethyst halted. For a few minutes, she seemed to take her comrade seriously, cocking her head to the side, unwashed silver hair hanging in masses down her shoulders. "Why?"

Pearl remained silent. _I'm such an idiot. I'll never live this down._

"... You scared or something?"

Pearl looked at the floor. _God, I'm pathetic,_ she scolded herself.

"... You scared of her rejectin' you?"

Pearl, feeling utterly ripped apart, looked at the shorter gem. "Just drop it, Amethyst."

"You scared or what?"

"Drop it, Amethyst!"

"I'll bet she likes you."

Pearl stopped, mid-snarl as her stomach filled with butterflies. Garnet liking her _back_? She hadn't taken much time to think and ponder about the way Garnet might feel about her before. It had always seemed like a subject too far out of reach.

And yet, Amethyst had brought it light-years closer with a mere five words.

Comforted and astonished at this unexpected show of support from her sister-in-arms, Pearl bit her thumbnail and looked down at her violet-clad comrade.

"You... you really think so?"

Amethyst looked right at her and nodded with a geniune smile, as if she now understood how Pearl felt about Garnet on a much deeper level. "I'll bet she totally digs you."

Pearl looked at the floor. She had only now just realized how tired she was after standing the whole day. She sat on the large bed, with the wood finish that matched the wardrobe.

"Are you gonna ask her out?"

Pearl refused to respond, crossing her arms once more.

The younger gem smiled, this time with uninhibited joy and enthusiasm. "Dude, you should ask her out! You guys would be so cute together!"

She looked at Amethyst. "Why would she waste her time with me?"

The shorter gem shrugged. "...Good point. You are kinda... _overbearing_ sometimes."

Pearl scowled. She really didn't need that.

Amethyst tried once again to be a supportive sister. "Maybe she's shy around ya. It would explain why she's always so quiet when you're in the same room together."

Pearl furrowed her brow, feeling off-put. She'd thought Garnet was always silent, a stoic to match her personality. Was she really only silent when Pearl was around? There would be no way to know for sure.

"Does she speak more when I'm... not there?"

Amethyst's eyes rolled to look at the ceiling, as if she wanted more time to come up with a sincere answer. "... I wouldn't say she _speaks_ more, it's really like she _opens up_ a little more. Maybe she's scared of what you'll think of her."

_Garnet? Scared? Of _me_?_ It was a mind-boggler to Pearl.

"_You_ seem kinda scared."

Pearl nodded. "Maybe... I am a little bit."

After a moment of silence, Amethyst heaved a sigh and stretched. "Well... I'd best be going nyaaaooow..."

Pearl looked at the box of undergarments, still on the floor. "... Now?"

"I'll just leave you alone with your..." she suppressed a snicker. "... toys!"

"Ugh." Pearl heard Amethyst's cackles and whoops all the way out the door. The youngest of the gems was obviously very proud of herself.

Surveying the mess laid before her, Pearl contemplated her options.

_One._ She could clean up the ruffled clothing on the floor, dust it all off, neatly place it back in the wardrobe, and pray like _hell_ that Garnet wouldn't find out about this little escapade. That was likely to work, but it probably would have taken more time than Pearl would intend... and if anyone were to walk in... Pearl would certainly have some explaining to do. _Nope, too risky._

_Two._ Leave now, and blame everything on Amethyst when Garnet returned. Somehow, she doubted that Amethyst would back her up. Secret would spill, and Pearl would have to hide in her room for the next three decades. _Yeah, that's not gonna work._

_Three. _Get Amethyst back in here and force her to help clean up... That wasn't going to happen. _Skip._

_Four. _Pearl could stay here, and continue to snoop through Garnet's wardrobe for knowledge. It was the reason she'd ventured here in the first place, and deep down Pearl knew she wouldn't be able to force herself to leave empty-handed. She was so, so curious to find out anything she could about her enigmatic, awe-inspiring teammate. And now that Amethyst had disappeared, Pearl could snoop in privacy. _Yup, fourth time's the charm._

Twisting her head to each side, Pearl made sure that the coast was clear.

She got up off of Garnet's bed. Grabbing hold of the smooth cherry-wood handles, she flung the doors open.

The rich scent of dark cherries hit her almost immediately. It was encouraging, and very delightful.

Pearl could see that the closet inside wasn't much different from her own, other than perhaps the obvious size difference.

But it was a lovely menagerie, filled with outfits, armors, dresses, slacks, jeans, tanks, tees, jackets, and all surrounding the signature red-and-pink-and-black shades of Garnet's bodysuit.

Pearl looked behind her at the box of underwear. _First things first._

Delicately lifting each bit of scattered fabric off of the floor, she stacked the folded undergarments into the heavy wooden box. After a few minutes of dusting and failed resistance to look at the articles of clothing, she scanned the room to be sure she hadn't missed one.

Nope, there appeared to be something black and lacy peeking out from underneath the enormous bed.

Crouching down at the base, Pearl pulled out the silky fabric with care, as so not to pick up any dust or debris that might have been on the floor.

She was surprised to find that the clothing dragged a greater weight than it had initially looked. It was then that Pearl made the discovery that it was not one article of clothing, but a full ensemble _strapped_ together...

_...Oh my God._

As soon as she had a full glimpse of the suit, Pearl forgot how to breathe.

_Never_ would she have imagined Garnet to be the type of person to harbor an outfit like this.

She'd never been able to bring herself to explore the vast, outrageous world of earthly erotica before, though the little worm of curiosity had allowed her a few sneak peeks in her childhood, as if it were something she might have been able to access in the distant future without the nagging fear of judgement sending guilty, irritating insect-like buzzes through her body.

Never before had she seen an outfit like this, but the sensible Pearl didn't need to know what a dominatrix was in order to picture the outfit in its designated use.

An unusually arousing mix of fear and excitement crackled like lightning throughout her body, coming down to simmer juicily in one area in particular. _There's that word again..._

Pearl couldn't resist a smile. Her breath caught in her throat as she imagined Garnet standing a mere three inches in front of her face, dressed in this skimpy little outfit. _Sweet Jesus._ Her mouth watered. All she would have needed to do is lean forward... just a little... and then...

For a minute, Pearl offered herself a little indulgence. _I deserve it,_ she thought. Flexing her cold fingers, she slipped them underneath the rim of her shorts. She allowed them to slide further down, then a little further, until the tip of her slightly calloused middle finger brushed over the hot, moist doorknob of her danger zone.

As so not to allow her quiet moans to resonate, she bit her lip. The image of Garnet in front of her brought about a bubbly warmth in her body, swimming and slithering between her heartstrings and between her legs.

What a perfect moment it was.

Pearl wasn't a particularly sexual person. It took a lot to arouse her body, and even more for her to feel motivated enough to _act_ on it. She needed security. She needed mutual consent. She needed comfort. She needed it all before she could even _permit_ herself to think such thoughts. The fact that Garnet hadn't even tried to incite these feelings in Pearl was in itself astounding to the petite gem. Never before had she these primal, deep-seated urges directed toward anyone before.

When Pearl was sure that she had finished, she slipped the X-rated costume back underneath Garnet's bed.

"Oh my god," she said aloud. "What am I doing? I'm wasting time." _Time I could be using for the closet..._

Feeling just a tad looser and more relaxed, she stood up and fixed her ruffled skirt. She picked up the box of untouchables. _Yipe,_ she thought as it immediately dug into her fingers. It was heavier than it looked.

Turning her gaze to the closet, Pearl pushed aside a mass of hung clothing with one arm, and looked around the base of the immense wooden box. _Maybe I could stick it in that back corner over there_, she thought.

Crouching down, she gingerly set the heavy box down in the dark corner.

Smiling, her gaze drifted toward the other objects that were now in her grasp.

_Let's see... A pair of ice skates... A few dress shoes... A box of knick-knacks... A..._

_...What was this?_ Pearl thought, her eyes fixated on the dark folded garment at the back of the closet.

She paused. _Something_ in her gut told her this wasn't something Garnet would have wanted her to find. Or anyone to find.

But Pearl was finished with making excuses with herself. She was digging through Garnet's closet with purpose, and she wasn't about to leave when she'd already made the fascinating discovery underneath the bed. Who knew what other naughty trinkets and treasures Garnet kept to herself?

Smiling, and without hesitation, Pearl reached into the closet and closed her long fingers on the fabric.

Which turned out not to be fabric, but _leather_. Giggling to herself, Pearl thought, _What a woman! Not only does she keep her kinky outfits to herself, but her leather gear too? This is exciting!_

Mentally preparing herself, she took a good look at what appeared to be a leather bondage outfit.

Cut and strapped to highlight the elegancies and temptations of a woman's body, the outfit looked gorgeous. It came with a pair of black stockings, biker gloves, and a spiked collar. _My God, it's incredible._ For a second, Pearl tried to imagine Garnet in this little suit...

...This very, very _slim_ suit...

_Wait a second. Would this actually _fit_ Garnet?_ She gently tugged the leather in opposite directions, half-expecting the thick material to stretch. Surely, if she'd purchased this for herself, it would be malleable enough to elegantly contort around the tall, well-muscled body.

It didn't stretch, and Pearl's stomach flipped over.

This outfit wasn't meant for_ Garnet_ to wear...

...so why on earth did she have it? Did she mean for it to fit someone else?

Pearl stood up, holding the unfolded outfit in front of her. She tried to eyeball the dimensions of the suit to determine its designated owner. _Let's see... about five-seven, slim waist and hips... long and slender legs..._

_No. It couldn't be..._

_...could it?_

Hands trembling (but not from fear), she hesitantly held the burlesque outfit up to her own body. Her heart skipped a beat, and her fingers went numb with shock and bewilderment.

It was her size. _Exactly_.

To her own surprise, Pearl's first instinct didn't involve any form of anxiety or panic. She felt remarkably content with... whatever she'd just figured out.

Maybe... maybe even a little excited.

_Has Garnet been thinking about ME?_ Pearl thought, no longer afraid to approach the question... in her own head.

"Girls, I'm home!" came a sweet, doting, motherly voice from outside.

_Uh-oh. _Pearl could feel her pupils constrict in her eyes.

"Amethyst, where's Pearl?" came Rose's voice.

The lazy girl yawned. "I think she's in... Garnet's room."

_Gee...thanks, you godforsaken asshole,_ thought Pearl, furrowing her brow in annoyance.

"Okay, thank you, dear. Pearl?"

_No! No, no, no! She can't find me! Oh, please don't come in here, Rose!_

"Pearl, sweetie? I'd like a word with you."

_Too late_. Pearl looked down at the garment in her hand. _What do I do with this?!_ She couldn't throw it back, Garnet would know then that someone had been rummaging through her closet! _Okay, don't panic, Pearl..._

Rose's footsteps echoed down the cut-stone hallway. "Pearl? Are you in there, sweetie?"

Pearl bit her lip. _What to do?! What to DO?!_ She might as well have been counting down the seconds. _16... 15... 14..._

"J-Just a second, Rose!" Without another thought, Pearl stuffed the outfit into her shirt. Thankfully, the leather wasn't thick enough to produce a noticeable, unnatural bulge in her stomach. She slammed the doors of the closet. Hopefully it wasn't too loud.

Rose ceremoniously entered the room, throwing up her arms to hug Pearl. "Hello, my little cherry blossom!"

Pearl hugged her maternal figure back, sucking in her stomach and pleading internally that Rose wouldn't notice the extra cushioning in her abdominal area.

"Pearl dear, what are you doing in here? I thought I told you to tend to the lime scaling on the statue today."

Something clicked deep inside of Pearl's skull. How could she have forgotten?

_Tell a lie,_ her brain said. _Rose can't know about any of this._

"I was... looking for Garnet's suit of armor."

"Why were you looking for Garnet's armor?"

"I... was going to polish it today..."

Rose smiled in the way a child would smile at her mischievous kitten. "Don't you think Garnet can provide maintenance for her own armor?"

_Dammit._ "Y-Yes..."

"Then... do you have any business in her closet, sweetie?"

Desperately trying to keep up a dignified expression, Pearl looked at the floor. It was a sparkly floor of red.

"I'll... get to the statue now." Pearl turned to leave, but Rose's soft hands held her shoulders in place.

"Oh, sweetie, you can catch up on it tomorrow. It's much too dark outside for manual labor."

Pearl looked her in the eye._ Does she really mean that?_

"Why don't you rest for a while?" said Rose dismissively. "Garnet will be home soon, you can ask her for permission to polish her suit of armor then." She smiled.

"Okay." _I should probably get out of here, anyway,_ thought Pearl, exhaling and setting her arms to her sides.

Without another word, Pearl brushed past Rose on her way out of the room, still concealing her prize underneath her shirt. She couldn't suppress a smile.

For a second, she imagined herself as the world's most heroic archaeologist making off with her coveted ancient treasure of the Aztec pyramids.

* * *

Safely back in the refuge of her own room, Pearl took a few deep breaths and reveled in the confident comfort of her own living space. She listened to the gentle, consistent tumble of mineral water; the echoes of conversations held long ago continuing to bounce and curve around the smooth crystal walls, and the quiet ripple of minuscule waves chasing each other in the many fountain pools situated in her room.

What sweet silences she embraced.

Back straight, she strolled aimlessly about the crystal blue chamber.

"I've done it... I've done it..." Pearl vocalized. She'd done it.

She felt like a child again, reveling in the savory tickle of knowing something _naughty_ that no one else did.

Stopping suddenly in front of a mirror of falling water, she saw her reflection. Blushing.

Blushing with a smile as dorky as hell.

She turned up her nose at the stupid, grinning face in the water. _I've made a fine accomplishment today. Nothing you say can deter this delightful high_, she said in her head. It was good._ I'm on top of the world_, thought the celestial adolescent.

And now, the self-proclaimed "queen of the world" was going to enjoy her prize.

But of course, the ever-conscious Pearl had reservations.

_This is wrong, she thought. I've stolen from Garnet and lied to Rose. As soon as Garnet knows what I've done, she'll... she'll..._

Her high had crashed.

Pearl's thoughts became stymied once more as she lifted the folded leather in front of her, fingers clammy with horror.

"Oh my... I... I... shouldn't have done this...!"

She must not have been holding the outfit very tightly, for not a second later it slipped from her grasp and flopped onto the smooth, polished floor, completely unfolded.

For a solid minute, Pearl stared at it, her mind blank.

It wasn't long until the unsettling burn of guilt crept into the back of her head. She now saw this coveted prize in a new light, as a damning piece of evidence from the scene of the crime she'd committed.

_Garnet is going to kill me! She's going to KILL ME! Garnet is going to..._

_...would she kill me?_

Pearl's heartbeat began to accelerate as her temporary savior- logic- kicked in.

_Calm yourself, Pearl. Don't overreact, just think about it. Why would Garnet have this in the first place if it fits you... and only you?_

Pearl knew that Garnet wasn't by impulsive by nature. Surely something reasonable and practical would had to have been going through her mind when she'd made this purchase... right?

_Now just think, Pearl. Why would she have this outfit... that fits you... and matches an outfit of her own... folded up..._

Her train of thought was going in loops. In the back of her mind, Pearl knew that all the second-guessing in the world couldn't mask what had already crossed her mind. Nothing could or would convince her otherwise now.

_She bought it for me. She bought it for me. She intends for me to wear it. She wants me to put it on and wear it in front of her._ A devious smile stretched across Pearl's face.

With the slithering tingle in her body again, Pearl thought, _I've earned this. I've earned this._

She began to strip.

Dropping her pastel-shaded ensemble to the floor, she kicked the garments away with no regard to where or how they ended up. Her heart thudded against her petite rib cage as the image of Garnet in the leather counterpart stood before her.

It wasn't easy putting on the outfit. The material was faux-leather, and it didn't stretch at all when Pearl tugged at it.

_This is a bit frustrating. _She'd expected some sort of fastening somewhere on the bodice, but was surprised to find that there were absolutely no zippers, Velcro, or authentic buckles to be found. _What kind of scatterbrain would design an outfit that you couldn't even put on?_

_Oh, well._ She'd just have to wiggle into it.

It would take her nearly ten minutes just to get into one leg of the pants. Nearly half an hour later, it was completely on. Slipping on the biker gloves was a breeze, and the boots were no different.

Pearl stood up. She felt at least three inches taller.

And as she saw her reflection in the falling water, a sense of pride and self-esteem flooded her heart, and pumped into her head.

A girl that had been raised in pastel shades her whole life, Pearl had never thought about wearing the color black before. It looked nice, and it complemented her ivory skin beautifully. _Garnet has excellent taste_, thought Pearl with a smile.

Without thinking, Pearl struck a pose. She put her straightened legs together, and used her limber spine to stick her rear end out from behind her. She then narrowed her eyes to two seductive slits, and as a finishing touch stuck the tip of her tongue out of pursed lips.

And just like that, her mind dove head-first into the gutter.

She wondered what other poses might appeal to Garnet's tastes.

Straightening her back and lifting her left knee to her chest, Pearl struck a more regal, dignified pose. _Of course_, she thought,_ what is so dignified about exposing a thinly veiled crotch?_

At least she wasn't sticking her butt out this time._ Perhaps I could show it off without overexposing it?_

She spun around and set her body in a power stance; legs apart, chest forward and hands on her hips. Not much unlike Garnet.

Looking over her shoulder; she gave her reflection a very serious glare, as if to say,_ Quit staring, buster_._ I'm in a commitment._

Pearl smiled. This was almost... fun!

_But oh, so degrading_, said her sub-concious self.

Still, she couldn't push away the fact that this was indeed a new high. Her mind slipped further down the gutter as she escaped into a little fantasy...

_They called her "Pearl the Sniper". _

_World-class female assassin, modern-day Robin Hood, the Zorro of the 1970's; she had many names and monikers, created by her legions of fans and organizations of enemies every day._

_Few ever dared challenge the Sniper of Ivory Skin. She'd never lost a duel in her life. And every time she humilated a new victim, she'd slice 'SNIPER' into the shield of her adversary, and vanish into the night sky without a trace._

_But her most famous reputation was spoken in hushed tones. Though the stories told could only go back so far, The Sniper was known as a legendary lover of powerful women._

_And now, The Sniper had her eye set on her newest victim of love, a protege of strength and power dominated by no other. Few would ever be so foolish as to reveal their true identity to Pearl, so she was content with knowing her as "Garnet"._

_Today, the woman looked fantastic. Donned in a suit of leather and spandex, she had dressed to kill. And she knew that Pearl knew it._

_The powerful protege was busying herself debugging a computer program, bent over with her long and subtly muscular legs together._

_"My, my. Someone's feeling frisky today..." said The Sniper, licking the tip of her index finger._

_She drew a long, hooked white claw out of her humanlike fingertip. Swaggering ceremoniously over to the rear end of the taller, darker woman, Pearl slipped her smooth, sheer claw between Garnet's legs._

_Garnet didn't seem to notice. Or rather, she had noticed, and was now pretending to be preoccupied with her computer program, while anticipating what surprise the lover of legend would present her with next._

_Tracing her claw up the inside of the cherry-red thigh, Pearl refused to make a reproachful atmosphere. When she finally hit the fabric, she curled her fingertip, hooking the claw around the skimpy crotch of the spandex thong._

_Garnet held her breath, feeling the cold knuckle of her potential lover rub against her heat._

_"Careful, dear. I do still associate myself with the pure."_

_"Not when I'm through with you..." _

Lost in the development of her erotic fantasy and keeping the fixed expression on her reflection, Pearl continued her funky little poses. She attempted to sway her hips in a flirtatious walk-off (though Pearl's hips were far from the requirements of a successful booty-swing) and attempted a wink, which would have been accompanied by a sweet smile, had she been able to finish. However, she was too into her activity to realize where _exactly_ she was walking...

"Wha-whoa! Aahhh!" Her heart leaped into her chest as she slipped on the edge of her pool. Her arms flailed in mid-air as she desperately tried to grab onto something, anything that would keep her from falling into the...

_SPLASH!_

...water.

_Oh, no. Oh no, oh no, oh no, OH NO!_ Spluttering and gasping for breath, the cold-washed Pearl scrambled to get back up to the surface. The boots, being much heavier than her usual ballet slippers, were utterly cumbersome and ungraceful as Pearl climbed ashore.

_Oh, please be waterproof, please, PLEASE!_ She thought as she lay by the side of the pool, in a puddle of mineral water that trickled down her legs. If she had single-handedly ruined this outift, then there was no telling _what_ Garnet would do to her.

She looked down. The water appeared to have beaded on the surface of the faux-leather, rather than have soaked through the rubbery material.

_Oh, thank goodness!_ Pearl breathed a sigh of relief.

Unzipping and removing her boots, she cringed. There was an obscene amount of water pooling in the insoles of each. She poured out as much water as would leave, and propped them up juxtaposed against the wall, all the while hoping and praying that the interior of each boot would dry soon.

As she recalled her horrible fall from grace, she looked down at the moist outfit she was donned in. A new concern clouded her mind when she remembered that the material didn't have an elastic quality. Her heart thudded when she realized that she would have to check the suit for rips or tears.

Pearl examined the strapless sleeves first. _Nope._

She looked over the frayed-by-design pants. _Nope, these are fine._

Running her hands over the stripe-cut back, she breathed a sigh of relief. _Nope, it's fine._

Next, she ran her fingertips over the many black straps that crossed over her rib cage. There were so many... it wouldn't be easy to find anything wrong with it...

Her stomach flipped over as her fingers fumbled with a strap that felt very, very loose.

She looked down, and became thoroughly nauseous in sheer horror. In her hand, the long black strap simultaneous to an upper right rib had torn, and was now dangling by half of a strap to the bodice.

"No, no, NO NO NO NO!" _My life is over! Garnet will KILL ME! SHE'LL KILL ME!_

And just like that, Pearl's mind climbed out of the gutter, and started running amok in an anxious, frenzied panic.

_Ohmigod, what do I do? What do I do!? I have to hide this... No, I can't! Garnet will know it's gone! Should I put it back? No! She'll see the break for sure! Should I stash it in Amethyst's room? No, she'll blame me! Should I destroy it? No, Garnet will be looking for it! Oh, what can I do? WHAT CAN I DO?!_

_I... I... I need to calm down..._

Pearl took a few shallow breaths through her nose, a tactic that Rose had taught her in order to ease her frequent anxiety attacks. Never before had she been so grateful for it.

_Okay, maybe I can fix this_, she thought while examining the broken strap. It wasn't a jagged tear, nor had it stretched or frayed. _Yeah, I can fix this. I'll just need a needle, some black thread, a few thimbles... I'll put it back in the wardrobe..._

_...And hopefully, Garnet won't be any the wiser._

_Now, I just need to get this suit off..._ She tugged at the faux-leather. _Get this suit off... G-Get this suit... off?_

_Uh-oh._ The rubbery material was sticking to Pearl's wet little body like a melted lollipop to the shag carpeting of a mid-sixties Chevy Van. _But it was so hard putting it on when it was dry! How am I going to get it off now? _Her heart picked up speed, a harbinger of another anxiety attack.

_Deep breaths, Pearl_. With a sinking feeling, she realized that she and the suit would both need to dry before she could even _hope_ to get it off.

_Oh, but I can't go out there like this!_ Uneasily, she got up and searched her room for a shirt... or a leotard... or a pair of pants... any scrap of fabric that would hide the sight of this unholy costume from the light of the outside world.

Eventually, she found one of her old bathrobes. It didn't quite cover her legs, but that minor detail paled in importance at the moment. She needed to be swift.

She pulled on the robe, not failing to notice that the sleeves were too short and the collar was too narrow. _How long has it been since I've worn this stupid thing?_ The faint tang of mildew hit her nostrils._ A pretty long time, I guess_.

Pearl began to plan her dangerous mission to the kitchen. _Now, if I can make it around... no, over the transportation pad, then I can dodge the sofa and have a running start in leaping over the kitchen counter. Then it should take approximately fifteen seconds to find the needle, thread and thimbles in the left drawer second to the top beneath the counter. There won't be enough room to get the momentum I need to get back over the counter, so I'll need to leave through the entrance and climb over the sofa, leap over the transportation pad and make it back in here in approximately... forty seconds. _

Under normal circumstances, Pearl would have weighed her plan with a few alternative (and likely safer) plans, but she simply didn't have that kind of time. This would have to do. She knew that she couldn't risk being caught.

She tied the pink ribbons around her waist into a shoelace knot. _Okay, let's do this_.

Opening the portal, Pearl began counting down the seconds. _Forty, thirty-nine, thirty-eight..._

She dashed over the transportation pad. She dodged the sofa. After quickly glancing around to be _absolutely sure_ that no one was coming, she sprinted for the kitchen counter, gaining momentum, just as she had planned._ Twenty-eight, twenty-seven, twenty-six..._

Up and over the kitchen counter, Pearl got down on her knees in front of the large drawer. And as she opened it...

_God-freaking-DAMMIT!_

... There was no sugar-coating it. That drawer was a terrible, terrible mess. Really, Pearl would have rather been searching a haystack for that needle.

Frantically, Pearl dug through the drawer, making no progress as her jittery hands kept dropping whatever she tried to pick up. The timer in her brain ticked away like a time bomb. _Twenty-one, twenty, nineteen, eighteen... Oh, where is that needle? Where is that needle!?_

A loud clicking noise sounded from across the room, and Pearl's heart skipped a beat.

The doorknob was turning.

Shaking and trembling, there was only one thought that Pearl could process.

Time to bail.

Abandoning her scattered timer, Pearl nearly slipped on her mad dash out of the kitchen. All she could hear was the sound of the doorknob turning, and the creak of the door opening.

_No, no, no, no! Please don't see me!_ She willed toward the person entering the room.

_Around the sofa... or was it over the sofa? Across?_ She clambered over the sofa rather ungracefully.

"What the hell is Pearl doin' in that old dishrag?" came the voice of the last person Pearl wanted to see.

"Oh, Amethyst. Let Pearl wear what she wants to wear." Rose is here too?

"Doesn't fit her very well," came a new voice, much deeper and smoother than the other two.

At the sound of that voice, Pearl forgot everything. Her surroundings became warm and sultry. Her heart slowed its shuddering pace. Her breath slowly evacuated from her chest, and she could feel herself flying. All the while, her mind spoke but one name.

_Garnet is here. Garnet is watching me. She's watching me. Her eyes are on me._

She felt herself soaring. Soaring and soaring and...

CRASH!

... falling flat on the hardwood floor. On her nose.

Black out.


	2. Explorations

**Playlist:  
****"Roxanne"- The Police  
"Snow (Hey Oh)"- Red Hot Chili Peppers  
"Too Shy"- Kajagoogoo (Highly Recommended)  
**"Love My Way"- Psychedelic Furs (Highly recommended)**  
**

**Or... if you want to go full 1978:****  
"Night Fever"- BeeGees  
"Into The Night"- Benny Mardones (Highly Recommended)  
"I'll Be Around"- The Spinners  
"Kiss You All Over"-Exile**

* * *

Pearl blinked a couple of times, her vision no clearer than it had been twenty seconds ago.

The first thing she noticed was her nose, throbbing in pain.

With a soft groan, she turned her head to the side, feeling the sensitive, bruised cartilage and flesh pulsate against a cooler satin pillow sham. No doubt, she'd broken it.

She blinked a couple more times as she tried to remember how she had broken it.

_I remember climbing over... a chair... no, a sofa... then... the floor... I fell on the floor... It broke... and then... Garnet._

She remembered hearing Garnet's voice. Her beautiful, beautiful voice...

...And then she remembered everything. The wardrobe, fighting with Amethyst, kicking her out, finding Garnet's outfit under the bed, finding _her own_ outfit in the back of the closet, Rose's intrusion, Pearl narrowly escaping Rose, putting on the outfit, posing with the outfit...

...Falling into the water, setting up the boots to dry, finding the torn strap, nearly panicking, dashing like a mad woman through the earthly house, hearing the clicking doorknob and creaking door... the fall, the floor, the sickening crack...

_The outfit!_ Was Pearl still wearing the robe over it?

Turning her head back up, she tried to blink away the blunt pain rooting deep into her sinuses and blinding her eyes with a stinging ache.

Pearl could see a blurred image of sparkling red. As she allowed her vision to adjust, she found the sparkling red vision to be a sparkling red ceiling, decorated with gently humming crystal arteries that looped around and out of the room.

Her head flopped to the side, and Pearl winced when her shattered, swollen nose touched the smooth satin again. She shut her eyes for a brief moment, processing her thoughts.

She knew who's room this was.

_Oh no..._Her heart jolted into acceleration. She knew who's room this was!

Pearl shot herself into an upright position and looked at her body, lying in this enormous bed. She was still wearing the leather outfit!

...And the strap was still torn!

_I... I have to get out of here!_ She put her hands over her nose, wincing, and looked around for an exit...

"Glad to see you've woken up."

Pearl froze in her place at the sound of that soft, sultry accent coming from directly behind her.

Did she dare turn her head?

Of course she did.

Standing behind the headboard was Garnet, in her regal, authoritative power stance. She had on her gym outfit, red cotton muscle shirt damply clinging to her oiled body, fresh from a clearly rigorous workout. The light, musty (but certainly not unpleasant) scent of perspiration clung to her.

Pearl froze like a peasant in the prescence of such a powerful monarch.

Garnet's expression gave away nothing, leaving Pearl helplessly clueless.

The tall, imposing figure made the first advance, strolling around the bed while speaking in an indirect, rehearsed, perhaps even gently scolding tone. Pearl couldn't help but cling onto every word.

"I see you've found the little trinket I'd hidden." She then turned her gaze (blocked by the shades, of course) on Pearl head-on for the first time that night, checking her out, assessing. Pearl, feeling rather naked, sat there rigidly.

She was only able to breathe again when Garnet unexpectedly crossed her arms in a casual manner, cocking her head slightly and leaning on her right leg, as indicated by a shift of her hips to the right side.

She smiled and nodded approvingly. Speaking slowly, Garnet appraised Pearl. "Looks good on you. Very good." She cocked her head to the other side. "Tell me, Pearl. Do you like it?"

A moment of unintentional silence.

Only then did Pearl realize that not a word had passed her lips since coming to. She stalled answering her superior by opening her mouth and making the impression of stretching her jaw muscles (which, in retrospect, she perhaps needed to do anyway).

_She just asked you a question, Pearl! Answer her!_ Her first words were a stuttering mess. "I l-like it... It looks n-nice..."

Garnet's smile depleted. "Just _'nice'_?" Her voice refused to waver as she spoke. "Come now, Pearl. Tell me _what_ you like about it."

The petite gem froze again. Very obviously.

The ever-observant Garnet, of course, didn't fail to notice. She sighed. "Not talking?"

Pearl shook her head, ashamed for being such a cowardly fool._ Say something, stupid_, she growled at herself. _You're wasting Garnet's time!_ She knew now that would never live this down.

Garnet resumed. "So, you're not talking. Funny, isn't that usually _my_ problem?" She chuckled as Pearl realized that Garnet was trying to lighten the atmosphere with a self-humbling remark.

Pearl couldn't repress a smile.

The powerful gem put her hands back on her hips, and Pearl couldn't help but notice the close-fitting red muscle shirt ride up just a little bit and show off her bellybutton, the look of which, as a whole, was incredibly sexy.

"I knew it," said Garnet. "I just _knew_ that outfit would look positively perfect on you the moment I saw it." She paused after that sentence, and it wasn't long before Pearl realized that the hard-to-read gem was waiting for Pearl to speak.

_Just talk to her, Pearl. You can do this._

"S-So, you picked this out yourself?"

Garnet nodded.

"You, um, got my size j-just right. How did you kn-know?"

The crimson-clad gem turned her face to the side, smiling. "I just know these things."

Pearl wasn't expecting that. _What does she mean?_ "U-Um, what do y-you mean... exa-actly?"

Garnet turned back toward Pearl. "If you're patient, then perhaps I'll show you one day." Pearl could have sworn, those pink shades glimmered with some kind of magic at that exact moment."Would you like that, Pearl?"

For the first time since coming to, Pearl knew what to say.

"I'd like that very much, Garnet."

Garnet nodded once. "I see you've had a little accident."

_Accident?_ Pearl wasn't sure how to respond.

Garnet reached up and tapped the tip of her nose.

Puzzled at this odd gesture, Pearl hesitantly mimicked Garnet, tapping the tip of her own nose.

"Ow-Ouch!" Pearl yanked her hand back as she was reminded of her broken burl.

The enigmatic second-in-command screwed up her expression. "Hold still. Perhaps I can fix it."

"Y-You know how to fix it?"

The older gem nodded. "Do you trust me?"

"... Well, of-of course..."

"Then lie down, and hold still."

Pearl obeyed, taking a few deep breaths as she mentally prepared herself for treatment.

Garnet raised her hands above Pearl's face. Her gems sparkled with vitality as they were roused into action. _Oh wow..._ Pearl held her breath, she'd never been this close to Garnet before.

Soft red light filled Pearl's spectrum, and a ticklish, tingling feeling numbed the pain in her shattered nose. Within a matter of seconds, her vision was completely fogged with the mist of pure magic.

And just as quickly as it begun, it was over. Garnet closed her fingers, and the red mist faded.

Pearl sniffed, and found that the blunt pain in her nose had vanished like invisible ink. _Wow, it's really been fixed_, she thought in astonishment, reaching up to touch it.

Pearl's attention flicked back to Garnet, as the exotic gem suddenly crossed her arms, and her lips uncurled into a pursed, stoic expression once more. "But..." Pearl felt her pulse throb from her wrists all the way into her shoulders. _Now_ she was going to get it. "... I must inquire, dear Pearl. Exactly _how_ did you come across my little gift for you?"

For the umpteenth time that day, Pearl couldn't form a single word. _Dammit!_ It was beginning to irritate her. She knew it wasn't right or fair to leave Garnet hanging like that.

She made a face at herself, unsure if Garnet noticed it.

_Sigh. No more lies._

Garnet waited patiently for Pearl to get her breath under control. Pearl puffed out her chest, and for the first time ever, spoke to Garnet with complete and utter confidence. She needed to be honest if she had any chance of regaining her respect and possible admiration.

"I found it in your closet. I was snooping through your room, because I wanted to know... about you, Garnet. I mean, I've known you for a... a few years... but you... you're secretive. Maybe it's my fault for not trying harder to reach out to you... but I was curious. You... you fascinate me, Garnet."

_Yeah_, Pearl thought. _That probably could have been phrased a little better..._

To her surprise, Garnet smiled warmly. "I... _fascinate_ you?"

_Oh_. Pearl realized only then how overly romanticized the word 'fascinate' really sounded in normal conversation. _I'm an idiot._

As if reading her mind, Garnet's response was frank. "You're not an idiot. As a matter of fact, you're... _ahem_... quite a-adorable."

Pearl cocked her head to the side and furrowed her brow, in an attempt to be a predictable tyke and ask Garnet to elaborate without having to speak.

And of course, the sensitive Garnet understood, and cooperated as best she knew how. "It's difficult to find a gem with your level of understanding in the area of self-awareness, morals and ethics. So many others, they live much too out in the open, taking advantage of their magical privileges and short-lived companionship with humans."

"...Like that dreadful Amethyst?" Pearl ventured, hoping that she was headed in the right direction.

"Yes. But dearest Pearl, you are hardly of that level. You understand what it means to fulfill your duties as a Crystal Gem, and you do so with hard work, dedication, and discipline, j-just as I do." Garnet then paused; she seemed _very_ aware her words were teetering on the edge of a collapse, for Pearl had never heard her speak this long before. "I... I'm grateful that there is a gem like you in my vicinity, Pearl," Garnet finished with a shudder.

It was an odd thing to wrap up with. Pearl remembered Amethyst telling her that Garnet had a difficult time opening up around certain people, especially her. Right now, as Garnet made a sweet effort to choke out something comprehensible, it looked like she hadn't been lying.

This was unexpectedly reassuring. Garnet was standing there a nervous wreck, just like Pearl. There was no doubt in her mind now that this attraction was mutual. The realization hung in the hot air between them like a dramatically placed ballad in a French cabaret film.

Her heart thudded with anticipation as Garnet suddenly leaned forward, getting closer... closer... Pearl shuddered as she felt the gentle, radiant body heat cascade over her face, and soft lips brush across her own.

Pearl didn't have time to think of an appropriate reaction. She pressed her eager lips into Garnet's.

The two mature, disciplined gems shared a moment of rare, sweet indulgence in each other.

Garnet was pleasantly shocked with Pearl's zealous reaction. But, what really caught her by surprise had been her own body's counter-reaction, leaning further into Pearl's osculatory assault, flicking her tongue on the younger gem's thin, tender lips, stealing a well-deserved taste.

Pearl jumped back, startled by the foreign feeling of a wet tongue-tip.

Garnet felt herself blush, unnerved by her inability to hold back on the inexperienced gem that lay before her. "I'm sorry... you've never done this before?"

Pearl, blushing furiously, shook her head. What exactly was 'this' she was referring to?

Garnet averted her eyes, only indicated by a turn of her head. Despite her knowledge of female interaction and relations, she was unsure of how to handle this one, the first one that really mattered to her.

Pearl's hot blue blood circumvented her body as she fretted over her sudden retreat, aware that it wasn't received well. _Oh jeez, did I do something wrong? Have I offended her? Oh... I can't ruin it now... _"I'mreallysorryGarnet!" Pearl blurted out.

_Gee, that was elegant_, Pearl thought as she blushed harder. She wished more than anything that Garnet would say something... anything... just so that this odd tension would break.

Pearl noticed Garnet's palms sparkle with magenta and carnation pink as she raised her hands as if to say _Have I frightened you? I swear I meant you no harm._

"N-Not a problem..."

Silence.

Heavy silence. Nothing needed to be said, it was clear to them both where they wanted to go with this. Moving forward, however, was proving to be impossible, as it usually did with adolescents. Someone _had_ to make the first move, to get this train going.

Pearl went for it.

"I... I'd like to do that... again? Please?" _Okay, not my smoothest pickup_, Pearl thought.

To her relief, Garnet smiled. "Okay." She sat on the bed beside Pearl, as Pearl's body tensed in anticipation and the sudden exposure to more intense body heat. "Hold still."

Before Pearl knew it, hot lips kissed hers once more. And once more, Pearl responded by kissing back.

The wet feeling of a tongue-tip flicking against her lips didn't frighten her this time. Pearl basked in the ticklish sensation, and soon found herself sticking her own tongue out from her lips and tasting Garnet.

Pearl shuddered as ecstasy vibrated through her inner organs, penetrating her bones and buzzing her nerves into submission to this heightened pleasure.

It wasn't hard for her to figure out how to kiss. It was a sort of game, a give-and-take with Garnet. And like most games, it became more advanced as time progressed.

A hand rested on Pearl's knee. She did her best not to flinch as she felt the palm-gem throb, noticeably warmer than before. The sudden rush of heat traveled up her leg, and a soft moan escaped Pearl's lips, quickly halted by Garnet slipping her tongue past the open mouth. _She... really REALLY likes me_, thought Pearl, as if nothing else could have proven it before now. She smiled into the kiss, confident in her advancements now.

She made the next move, reaching out to touch the hand on her knee, which had moved up toward the middle of her thigh. She entwined her fingers with Garnet's.

The hand moved further up her thigh, but Pearl didn't budge. Garnet then slipped her slim fingers underneath the leather strap that hugged Pearl's hips and held her tight pants in place. Then, in one swift motion, _SHIRRRRIP!_ She tore the leather clean off of Pearl's legs.

Startled, Pearl broke the kiss. She looked up at the severed pair of pants hanging in the air by one finger, mouth agape.

"How... How did you do... that?"

Garnet's lips curled into a little smile as she looked at the floor and mumbled, "Practice."

Pearl smiled. "You've been practicing?"

Though it was barely noticeable, Garnet's cheeks became even redder. "I'm glad it worked this time..."

Pearl decided right then and there that Garnet could not have looked cuter, not even if she tried. And at that moment, all inhibitions were cast aside, for after all this time, Garnet would now be hers.

The lithe, pastel gem lunged for Garnet, hopping onto the powerful gem's lap, throwing her arms around muscular shoulders and squeezing her long-awaited prize. She smacked her lips against Garnet's, and at that moment, everything headed into the gutter.

Garnet fell back on her bed, bringing Pearl with her. While she lovingly kissed and caressed the younger adolescent, she reminded herself over and over that it was crucial that this not escalate too quickly. It was still her goal that the virgin before her have the best 'first time' possible, unlike her own rough, abusive experience with that awful duo of Diamond and Black Spinel.

But, that's a story for another day.

Meanwhile, the tingling feeling in Pearl's loins was back in full swing, this time with an intense burn of anticipation. Before she could stop herself, her hips gently started to rock back and forth against Garnet's gray-and-orange yoga pants, thanks of course to her limber spine. Was she aware of what her body was doing? Maybe, but even if she had been, she likely wouldn't have thought much of it.

Garnet needed to get this novice under control, before things could spin out of hand. She wrapped one arm around the slim gem's hips, and pressed them up against her own, in an attempt to shift Pearl's focus from the instinctive motions to the intimate sensations. Then, in order to seal her in, she brought her other arm around, rested her elbow gently but firmly over the pastel gem's shoulder blades, and ran her long, dark fingers through the gingery hair. She took care not to make Pearl feel trapped or uncomfortable, as such a position could have been interpreted so.

It worked. Pearl caught on quickly, and combed her slim, bony fingers through the thick locks of dark, curly hair above Garnet's shoulders. All the while continuing to explore the introverted gem's mouth with her little tongue.

She'd been squinting most of the time, not ready to shut her eyes and miss a change of expression in Garnet's face. Not that anything was easy to see, of course. The glowing red lights in the bedroom had dimmed down to a deep crimson, darkening the far corners of the room and shining a soft orange spotlight on the bed. Garnet, having a magic synchronization with her own bedroom, had proudly done this herself.

Pearl briefly broke the intense kiss for air. She got right back to her osculation soon after, greedily inhaling Garnet's warm scent. It was better than any store-bought perfume. She shuddered audibly a couple of times, a tad louder than she'd intended.

"Shhh..." Garnet whispered ever so softly. She pulled away and smiled. "Let's not attract unwanted attention now, shall we?" the crimson gem purred.

Pearl could feel her cheekbones burn. "Right... sorry."

The younger gem didn't need to see Garnet's eyes to see her eyelashes flutter. "Not to worry, dear." Pearl's heart fluttered in response.

Garnet pursed her lips. "Darling Pearl, how would you feel about taking this _underneath_ the bed covers?" the exotic gem turned her face demurely to the side.

Pearl nodded with enthusiasm, flashing a toothy grin.

Without shifting their position, Garnet single-handedly pulled the dark red comforter over the two of them. The orange spotlight suddenly became dimmer, and the atmosphere became clouded with their collective body heat. It was all the more enticing for Pearl.

It was at that moment Pearl felt slim, hot fingers delicately but intently trail down her side and tuck themselves underneath her stomach, touching the rivets that ran all the way down the sternum to the belly of the leather suit.

She heard a tiny _click_, followed by another one further up the center of her rib cage, and then a sudden, foolish realization dawned on Pearl.

_Of course the rivets were buttons, dummy!_ Pearl silently scolded herself. _Think about how much time you could have saved if you had figured that out earlier! Idiot!_ Pearl would've facepalmed herself at that moment, had Garnet not been distracting her so efficiently, for not a moment later she noticed a marked change in the constriction of her upper body. Surely enough, Garnet had stripped her chest bare, and tucked the faux-leather top under her bed covers.

_My breasts! She can see them!_ Pearl compulsively folded her arms over her chest, blushing and ashamed of herself.

Garnet cocked her head to the side. "Something wrong?"

Pearl could only blush harder, unsure of what to say.

With gentle, warm movements, Garnet lifted Pearl's arms away from her chest. "There's no need to feel ashamed, dear. It is only you and I right now."

_I guess she doesn't mind,_ thought Pearl. _Maybe I shouldn't be afraid of moving forward with this._

As if she could hear her thoughts, Garnet shushed her. "Don't be shy, darling. I like you. You should like yourself, too."

Pride made Pearl's chest swell a bit.

"But, not because I say you should," Garnet chuckled, revealing a sheepish, luminous smile.

Her hot breath began to soften the small blue nipples, and the atmosphere of the situation gave Pearl a sudden, primal urge to touch her own body.

Without taking her eyes off of Garnet, Pearl straddled the taller gem's waist, shivering at the sudden contact her bare thighs had with the powerful washboard of an abdomen. Raising her hands up to her chest, she ever so delicately fumbled and fingered her warm, soft untouchables. She'd rarely done it before. It created a strange, neural pleasure. One Pearl felt like she could get used to. She couldn't help but blush and pant at this endorphin rush.

Garnet crossed her arms in quiet, haughty amusement, smiling that reassuring, loving smile that betrayed her contentment with the nearly denuded gem squirming on top of her. She smiled not out of lust, immaturity or mischief, but out of the overflowing passion that she'd quietly directed toward the petite gem for quite some time.

_I knew I made the right decision in pursuing her affections,_ thought Garnet. _She approaches everything with just the right amount of certainty. I could teach her so much, and now I know how._

Lightly taking an ivory hand in her own, Garnet guided the younger gem under her own shirt. It would only be fair that she denude herself for Pearl as well.

Pearl got the hint. A tiny, feminine squeak escaped her lips as she one-handedly lifted Garnet's lightly damp shirt away from her broiling bod. She lifted her long arms up, so that Pearl wouldn't need to take her other hand away from her breast. Although even with the aid, it was still a challenge getting the tight tank-top past the enormous afro.

But now it was off, and cast aside.

Pearl took a minute to appreciate Garnet's body. Powerful shoulders, rock-hard abdominals, breasts compressed by a tight red sports bra... the body of an uncontested Olympian.

The lithe gem straddling Garnet's waist was all too eager at this point to see Garnet in all her vulnerability. Still unready to remove her hand from her own breast, Pearl single-handedly reached behind the crimson gem's shoulders.

To her surprise, Garnet propped herself on her elbows. "This should make it easier," she said.

Pearl chuckled, unable to form words at this point. She presumed Garnet's bra again, slipping her fingertips over her shoulder.

"Good girl..." said Garnet, cocking her head to the side.

Pearl's hands shook as she unhooked the tight fabric. She hardly had time to prepare herself for the sudden pop that released the older gem's breasts from the compress.

The breath evacuated her petite lungs as Pearl laid her eyes upon Garnet's pride. _Goodness, she's so... well-endowed..._ Pearl wasn't entirely sure she could handle this much soft curve.

But... she was determined to prove herself to Garnet. She reached out with her free hand and caressed the one on her right. Her fingertips tingled as they made contact with the soft, hot flesh.

It was with such admiration and respect that Pearl had her first queer experience. And of course, she had the gem of her dreams in her grasp.

But how to seal the deal? Surely things couldn't go back to the way they had been before, with Pearl admiring Garnet from afar, the memories of this magic evening growing cold and neglected. She simply couldn't have that.

Tears formed in her eyes. Or rather, she needed to get Garnet's attention, and her face couldn't unscrew its tight, euphoric smile.

"What is the matter, Pearl?"

The pastel gem folded her arms across her chest once more. "I'm scared, Garnet."

Garnet paused, waiting for Pearl to continue.

"I'm worried, Garnet."

Garnet sat up. She knew exactly what Pearl was going to say. She'd felt the same impending terror crushing her insides many times before. She'd known it all too well. "You're afraid. You're afraid that we will not be seeing each other after this, are you not?"

"Well... won't we?"

Garnet smiled a soft, reassuring smile that lifted a weight off of Pearl's rib cage. "I'd love to continue seeing you after this." She gently laced her arms underneath Pearl's and held the nude half of her body close to her own. "I feel like I'm in a good place with you, darling."

Pearl felt touched. She couldn't think of anything to say. As her little heart beat like a jackhammer, she pressed her lips against Garnet's neck, inhaling her clean scent and basking in her unusual body heat.

A light gasp, shakily a moan, left Garnet's lips. Pearl's heart skipped a beat. _What a beautiful voice... you could be a singer, Garnet. So soft and subtle and deep..._

"Ahem, pardon. That was... rather unorthodox of me," Garnet said in a low, sheepish mumble.

_I see... you're still nervous,_ thought Pearl with an odd trickle of enthusiasm creeping up her throat. _We'll have to do this together if we want to work past this awkward stage..._

Pearl nuzzled into Garnet's neck. She pursed her lips and felt the steady, precious throb of underneath warm skin. The taller gem hardly seemed to realize it, but she was moaning so very softly as Pearl graced her neck and face with little nibbles.

_I could just devour you_, thought Pearl, positively enraptured in this little moment under the covers.

So very enraptured she was, she didn't seem to notice that Garnet was passively kicking the gray-and-orange spandex off of her legs. It came as a pleasant surprise when long, bare legs became entangled with her own. Of course, some reshuffling ensued, and as Pearl squirmed and slithered into a more comfortable position (never having slept on top of someone before), her knee grazed something wet, labial in texture, and quite noticeably hot. Very hot... with a peculiar scent to it...

The pastel gem stopped dead. Her stomach did a flip-flop.

Dare I continue?

She could have sworn that Garnet had the gift of legilimency, for at that moment, the older gem whispered, "It's okay. It's good. Very good."

"Are... are you sure?"

"It's alright, darling."

Pearl took a deep breath. "Okay..."

The inexperienced one wasn't sure what would work the best. The knee, or her hands, the way she'd done it to herself?

She decided on the knee. After all, it was already there. Pearl started slowly, testing out her angle. _I think she likes that. Wait, what if she likes this one more? Oh, I should do this one again... Oh, that was a cute noise. Can I make her repeat it?_

A startling wince from Garnet made Pearl's movements come to a sudden halt. She was then further puzzled as Garnet very audibly tried to hold back a longer, louder, shuddering moan that seemed to swim through her body. The crimson gem sat up, and Pearl once again got a full view of the tall woman's breasts, holding her breath as she watched them jiggle a little bit as the dark areolas puckered up again.

_What a gorgeous woman_, thought Pearl, briefly distracted. The look that the powerful gem's bare body created made her look so true, so intimate, so vulnerable.

"That was quite pleasant", breathed Garnet. "You did lovely". Her pink shades glinted.

It was then that Pearl realized just how hot, wet and slippery her knee had become. She noted the heat that had crept up both pairs of legs.

Instinctively, Pearl bit her knuckle. She couldn't suppress a giggle of euphoria as her face burned. Garnet's left hand glowed with intensity as she removed the fingers in the pastel gem's mouth, and placed them on a hardening nipple.

Pearl got the hint. She gingerly rubbed the sensitive bud, fingerprinting it. This close, she could see every quiver, every miniscule shake that the soft mounds responded to every little fondle with.

Saliva seeped in from under her tongue.

_Maybe I could..._

Pearl sucked her lips to dampen them. She so wanted to taste it. Just a little taste...

Drawing her hand back to Garnet's hip, the pastel gem leaned forward. The tip of her tongue poked out of her lips. Her heart fluttered, bringing a warm buzz back into her blood.

A tap. Pearl nearly lost control right then and there.

It was an incredible feeling. The most tender flesh in the body surrounded the tiny jewel at the top, as if it were swaddled up by the finest silk comforter in the world.

Pearl took great care not to let her teeth clamp down on Garnet, though it wasn't easy. She so terribly wanted to just swallow this royal pillow whole.

"My goodness..." said Garnet, combing her long fingers through Pearl's hair, rubbing the delicately tapered fingers against the scalp.

_Focus on the... nnhh... sensations_, Pearl told herself. She took note of everything her nerves were telling her at this exact moment.

The energy crackling like electricity between her tongue and the nipple whenever she grazed it. The raw, wet pleasure burning and soaking her thong (the only bit of clothing she had left). Her fingers curling into powerful shoulders, surely leaving indents, maybe even cuts. Two palm-gems warming her thighs as slim fingers gave them a hot little squeeze.

Pearl couldn't hold back her moans anymore. They rumbled and tumbled out of her throat as she raised her head.

"Aahh..."

Hair was starting to stick to her sweat-slicked forehead. A dim, yet stunningly radiant light shone from her gem. She looked down at Garnet. The curls of dark hair were beginning to to unfurl from her distinctly coiffed style, and her shades had started to slip out of place, crookedly revealing a bright blue eye. It looked right at an awe-struck Pearl.

_Screw the formalities,_ thought Pearl. _I'm ready_.

She raised a hand, and snatched the glasses form the crimson gem's face in a wild blur. She set them aside (or rather, let them fall to the floor with a tinkling crash).

_One blue, the other red? Fascinating..._ Pearl thought, smiling. She had failed to notice the the third eyelid in the middle of Garnet's forehead, she was so hopped up.

The bony gem immediately lunged forward and started peppering Garnet's fine, handsome jawline with kisses. Pearl felt a smile lift the Brit's normally static expression.

The palm-gems clasped around Pearl's legs had moved around to her front. Garnet slipped her index fingers underneath the leather, pleasantly surprised as Pearl helped her pull the sticky undergarment off.

Pearl didn't even wait long enough to get it off of her ankle. She wrapped her her arms around Garnet's waist, and squeezed the powerful gem. The soft, bountiful breasts pressed against Pearl's own like living, loving pillows with emotion and energy rising form the dark skin, passing directly into her own like a warm, magic aura. And maybe it was.

Of course, her loins burned with a deep, carnal desire. And as far as Pearl knew, there couldn't be a method to this madness, at least at this point in the game.

So, she did what her body told her to do.

She brought her knees up, and daintily straddled Garnet's waist again, wincing in ecstasy as her leaking core came in contact with a toned, hot stomach.

The pastel gem then got to work contracting and uncontracting, tightening and untightening her abdominal muscles in order to move her wet nether lips back and forth across the skin.

Oh gosh... oh golly... she said in her head, unable to form anything but wet, shallow gasps of conditioning, with the occasional rattle of her vocal chords producing soft, beastly growls.

Her pleasure steadily increased as she watched Garnet's face change. Her relatively small but luminescent eyes lidded and flickered with elegant revelry as she was swept up in a wave of the raw, hot passion Pearl was exerting all over her.

The petite one's could feel Garnet inhaling and exhaling with mounting enthusiasm. But then, she stopped and held her breath.

Pearl was dumbfounded. She felt... cut off. _She wants me to stop? I don't underst..._

"Enough..." breathed Garnet at last, securing her sweaty hands and beating gems around her novice's hips.

_Wha... What? Has she changed her mind?_ Pearl fretted. She knew she couldn't bear being cut off now.

"I... wish to please you dear."

With that, the Brit lifted her left leg, and brought it around Pearl's hip, enveloping her in an oddly comforting embrace.

Only then did Pearl realize just how close to Garnet she was. Her moistened little button had nosed itself out of its home, and was now rubbing up against something that felt eerily similar in texture and sensation.

But of course, it all paled in comparison to the sudden spread of her vulnerability, at last being exposed to someone that wasn't herself. Garnet had prompted her petals to open up into a beautiful blossom, and greeted it with a sort of steamy sunshine rising from own bloom. _Gosh, it's warm_, thought Pearl, barely able to form or stick with a coherent thought at this point, distracted. Her flower was ripe, dripping with juice and burning wild with the desire within. She could feel Garnet's heat as well, beckoning the pastel gem closer, closer...

_Omigosh_, was all Pearl could think to say, caught up in the anticipation of...

...It was impossible to keep track of what happened after that.

Hands moved, palm-gems glowed, palm-gems glowed, palm-gems rubbed, lips twitched, teeth bit down on lips (but not out of spite), long legs licked, longer legs kicked, a forehead-gem shone, eyelashes fluttered, the mattress groaned as the springs bent and creaked, tongues entwined, breath was hot, breath was heavy, a third eye blinked and lidded, arms looped around hourglass waists, cores dripped and burned and throbbed and crackled and ground together, muscles and tendons tensed and relaxed, contracted and subcontracted, an ecstatic moan here, a soft purr there...

A kiss, a soft lick, a loving caress, a heated palm-gem rub-down, an arching of the back, and suddenly so many things were happening all at once, and so many different noises were being made by the duo, and the only things to be seen were two red lights and a white light, and now nothing made sense and nothing _had_ to make sense, and now itwasallcomingtogetherandPearlcoulddonothingbutshoutinincrediblyhotsexyblissfulecstasylikenothingshe'deverfeltbeforeand...!

The moment ricocheted between the two, like a sudden realization of a well-contrived prophetic omen, or a perfectly placed chord in a soulful ballad, one that you would kill to hear just one more time.

It didn't finish too abruptly, the moment more so quite daintily sailed back down to earth on a sweet breeze.

And that was now how Pearl felt, lying here next to Garnet, the incredible experience still tenderly brushing between the two sweaty, panting bodies.

Before Pearl could reflect, she heard something new, something melodic. She recognized the tune immediately. Turning her tired head to the side, she gazed at the adolescent with the multicolored eyes.

"I... I love that song." _I love you._

"As do I, dear." _Marry me, Garnet. Marry me like the humans do._

"May I sing it with you?" _What an odd question. Why did I... Oh who cares? I did it with her. I really did it with her! I did it! I DID IT!_

Garnet could only smile.

* * *

"You're such a romantic," cooed Pearl as she traced little circles below Garnet's breasts with her index finger quite lovingly.

The Brit chuckled. "Only when it matters, dear," she murmured softly.

"When wouldn't it matter?"

"If it weren't you." Garnet then raised her hand on the side opposite Pearl, letting the gentle red magic illuminate the pitch-dark room. She then tenderly cupped Pearl's face. "You know, you fascinate me, too."

The pastel gem's heart did a little jumping-jack.

"There are many subtleties you possess that I can't help but admire. Rarities, if you will."

"Rarities?" Pearl reciprocated.

"Yes. Darling rarities."

Pearl felt her chest swell just a little bit. She very much liked to think of herself as a rarity. After all, that was how a pearl here on Earth was valued.

"And a rarity must be treated like one," Garnet continued, combing a hand through her dark curly locks, one by one letting them spring back into their relative location. She turned her head to the side, and used her other hand to pet the other adolescent's hair with her long fingers. "You deserve nothing short, my pet."

"Baby, you're too much," Pearl snickered, blushing and giggling at her own use of the word.

For hours, the duo exchanged sweet words, each and every one more syrupy and sticky and gooey than the last. One might have almost found it sickening after a while. Almost.

Was it love? The dreaded L-word? Maybe. Was it an inebriating cocktail of dopamine and serotonin softening the ordinarily tough gems up? Perhaps. Was it one of the most glorious experiences they had every shared?

Absolutely.

* * *

Of course, word got around quickly. Neither Pearl nor Garnet were surprised that it had been that little purple twat, whom shall remain nameless, that made sure everyone knew. At this time in human culture, the homosexual movement, the big coming out party, was still slowly and not always surely clawing itself above ground, risking each and every neck for the respect it so desired.

As it played out, the tiny community of Beach City felt itself torn more than two ways as to what the newcomers Garnet and Pearl (you had to say their names together now) meant for the future. As the community divided itself, the new couple were met with criticism, cruelty, and compassion.

Oddly enough, it didn't affect them as much as you'd think it would.

They were Crystal Gems, first and foremost. Unlike many others, neither Garnet nor Pearl would allow their sexualities to define who they were. They would let their individualities shine through, and let nothing dampen them.

Even today, they still choose to keep it under wraps. After all, intimacy was a value they shared, one they still share today.

And for absolutely infinite and countless reasons, they couldn't be happier with each other. Always and forever...

* * *

**Can you tell where I got lazy? Hopefully it doesn't show through. **

**It's done everyone! Thanks for sticking with it for so long! I love Pearlnet so much, you guys don't even know.**

**And this certainly won't be the last you will see from me with these cuties!**  
**-Bucky**


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